January 11

sixty-nine; that is within five, that is within one year of his coming. But take persons at any age—take them in middle life; take them in youth—yet when you reflect upon the brittleness of your frame, and the countless accidents and diseases to which you are exposed every moment, you must acknowledge that there is but a step between you and death—between you and the Judge of all!

JANUARY 11.—“For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.”—Hebrews 2:11.

WHAT cause? Read the former part of the verse. “He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one.” There is a spiritual union or oneness between Christ and Christians—They are of one God and Father. They are of one spirit. They are of one taste; one aim; one pursuit. They have one destination; and will appear with him in glory—“Where I am,” says he, “there shall also my servants be.” But the meaning is here determined by the context—they are of one nature. “Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.” “In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren.” “He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” This exception was not only necessary, but possible: and as Adam before his fall possessed truly the same nature with us yet sinless, so provision was made for the Saviour’s participation of it, in the same immaculate way: and from the manner of his conception by the Holy Ghost, his humanity was the “holy thing” born of the Virgin Mary; and he is called, the “holy child Jesus;” and it is said, not only that “he did no sin,” but “in him was no sin.” This becoming one with us in nature is without controversy a great mystery, but it is a mystery of godliness. It is the medium of our salvation. It is thus he speaks to us without making us afraid. It is thus he is capable of sympathizing with us, and gains our confidence. It is thus he becomes our example, and goes before us in the path of duty and suffering; and he can give his life a ransom for us, and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Men unconvinced of their state, may treat the doctrine with neglect or contempt; but, says Paul, “We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, His flesh.”

For this cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren—And why should He be ashamed, seeing He is of one nature with them? It will not be difficult to find a reason. Though He is truly a man, He is more than human. The Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh. And there is a great difference between Him and us, in the same nature. There are not only degrees among angels, but also among men; and these distinctions are sanctioned by Scripture, which requires us to render to all their due; honour to whom honour is due, and fear to whom fear—“I said, ye are gods.” A king is of the same nature with the lowest of his subjects; is made of the same clay; and can no more dispense with food and sleep than they—yet does he call them brethren? Do we not deem it almost a miracle to see a prince condescend to men of low estate? A commander in chief will speak of his

brother officers; but he does not call the common soldiers brethren. The judge in court will call a counsellor brother; but not the prisoner at the bar. Though Christ has our nature, He is so exalted and glorious, that He may well disavow the nearness of our relationship, according to the feelings and usages of the world. Humanity in Him is worthy, but in us undeserving. In Him it is spotless, in us it is defiled. God is angry with us; in Him, He is well pleased—He always did the things that pleased Him. We are mortal, and crushed before the moth; but He dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him—He is at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high.

For we must consider not what He was, but what He now is. While all the members of a family are in obscurity, they all feel the same towards each other; but if one of them be elevated, as David was, to the highest condition in the state, he may be easily tempted to shame, in acknowledging the rest who are left so much below him. But though Jesus is passed into the heavens, and angels, principalities, and powers, are made subject unto Him, and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come, He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities; He is not ashamed to call us brethren. It is indeed observable that it was after his resurrection He gave his disciples this name: "Go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee." "Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." And when He comes in his glory, and before Him will be gathered all nations, even as the Judge of all, He will not be ashamed to say, "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me."

Let this thought dignify us. The honour will not make us proud, since by the grace of God we are what we are; and the more we have, the more we owe.

Let it console and encourage us. If He calls Himself our brother, He will perform all that the relation implies and requires in its most perfect discharge. He will correspond with us. He will visit us. He will defend us. He will provide for us. Joseph supported all his father's house; and because He lives we shall live also.

And if He is not ashamed to own us—shall we ever be ashamed to acknowledge Him? "He that is ashamed of me, and of my words, in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when He cometh in the clouds of heaven with the holy angels." But surely terror is not necessary here—surely ingenuousness, affected with a sense of our dependence and obligations, will be enough to induce us to say,

"Ashamed of Jesus! of that Friend On whom my heavenly hopes depend! I must not be—be this my shame. That I no more revere His name."

JANUARY 12.—"In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain."—Daniel 5:30.

OBSERVE the person—the event—and the season.

The person was Belshazzar. He is not easily identified in profane history, and little is said of him in the Scriptures of Truth.

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